Italy March 2019

Mini Countryman PHEV surprising #1 

The Italian PEV market is finally on the move, with sales growing 34% YoY in March (0,6% PEV share), to 1.082 units, while the 2019 share is at 0,4%, still an admittedly low value, but growing, nevertheless. 

With a new package of incentives finally in motion, will plug-ins finally pick up the fast lane and cross the 1% threshold?

Looking at the best selling models, the Mini Countryman PHEV is the surprise leader, with the British SUV selling at the same pace of the all-conquering Tesla Model 3.

Will the Mini resist the advances of the all-electric sedan? In a normal market, the answer would be a resounding "No", but the Italian plugin market is known for its quirks, so we might see an interesting race between these nameplates.

The only 2018 medalist still on the podium is the #3 Nissan Leaf, with 177 units, but it is being chased by the BMW 225xe A. Tourer, just 6 units behind, while the Range Rover Sport follows, in 5th, with 150 registrations, ahead of a large pack of full-size SUVs (#9 Volvo XC90 PHEV, #12 Audi e-Tron, #14 Tesla Model X, #20 Range Rover PHEV) in this Top 20.

In a Jaguar-Land Rover friendly-market, the Jaguar i-Pace also shows up, in #11, having scored in March its best month (29 units) of the last 8 months.

Another quirk of this market is the popularity of the Smart nameplates, with the Fortwo in #6, while the Forfour is #14, with the latter performing a record score (25 sales) last month. The Van-with-Windows Nissan e-Evalia  is also a surprising presence, in #12, while Italy seems to have missed the current Korean invasion, with the best placed Hyundai-Kia model (Kia Niro PHEV) showing up only in #16.  

Tesla (17%) is leading the makers ranking by a thread (383 units vs 381), running neck-to-neck with Mini (17%), while BMW is 3rd, with 13% share, ahead of Nissan (10%).